series of tests being done on ovarian cyst

Hi guys hope its ok to ask and use your experiences here!

10 years ago i had an ovarian cyst removed called an Endometrioma it was removed and that was it sent on my way great recovery. 12 weeks back i attended my doctors with left sided discomfort i knew i had another cyst so they sent me for ultrasound which confirmed a 9cm cyst same size as last time but the lady doing the scan said because its appearing a bit solid on the top I need to tell GP to refer to gynae etc. So i get referred to Gynae and they took some history iv no symptoms of any gynae problems at all no heavy bleeding etc or pain despite having the previous endometrioma as its meant to mean you have deep endo. The gynae lady there requests an MRI due to the appearance and size of my cyst never had any of these last time but i guess 10 years on they may do many more tests now.

I had the MRI with dye and now they want a CT thoratic down to the pelvic area with these other 2 tumour marker tests and they are doing the brown serum blood tests with those so i just wondered is this what Gynae would normally do or do i have cancer spreading round my system now? head went everywhere or does this sound like still investigating and a thorough doctor iv been told she's one of the best. I have also read that if a Gynae doctor wants these other tumour marks its still related to the pelvic area my CA125 was only up a bit but my gynae doctor said it can be with endometriosis inflammation in the pelvis. The CEA2 test she's added to the brown serum blood test also says they can use this if they have benign ovarian mucinous  cystadenomas type looking cysts. 

  • Hi Louise-R and thank you for your post.

    I can understand why your mind has gone straight to worrying, but from what you've written it sounds like your gynaecologist is being very thorough.

    The fact that your consultant has ordered more tests doesn't mean the worst. It sounds like she wants as much information as possible before making any decisions.

    Try not to read too much into each test on its own, as they are usually looked at together with your scans and medical history.

    It's reassuring that your CA 125 is only slightly raised, as that can happen with endometriosis and other non-cancerous conditions.

    The other blood tests don't automatically mean they think you have cancer either.

    Doctors often use a range of tumour markers to help work out what type of cyst they are looking at, including benign cysts.

    You may find it helpful to look at this NHS charity called Every Mind Matters and Anxiety UK. They have tips on how to manage anxiety when waiting for results.

     

    I hope you know more soon and everything is ok.

    Please get back to us if you need any more information or support

    It might help to talk things through with one of our nurses on the helpline. You can call for free on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

    Kind regards

    Tina